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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28258140">Accidentally</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeafoamGalaxy/pseuds/SeafoamGalaxy'>SeafoamGalaxy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Crystal Geodes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Death Threats, Gem Egg Hell, Gen, Pregnancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:40:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28258140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeafoamGalaxy/pseuds/SeafoamGalaxy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot needs help and she has nowhere left to turn.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Crystal Geodes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2096409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work is SFW aside from some implications in chapter two that get interrupted (and are wrong anyway), but the rating is just to be safe.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">It had been months since their last sighting of Peridot.</p>
<p class="p1">Perhaps it was a strange thing to reflect upon now. The search for Malachite had taken up almost all of the Crystal Gems’ attention. Once in a while they thought they had a lead on her, only to arrive moments too late. Even when the four of them were not out searching together, Garnet had been scouring the ocean floor between missions in an effort to track her down. Considering the threat she posed and the need to rescue Lapis from the toxic fusion, it was only natural that finding and separating her was the main priority.</p>
<p class="p1">But tonight Steven couldn’t stop thinking about Peridot. Hours had ticked by as he lay in bed, staring at the darkened ceiling, his mind wide awake and buzzing with thoughts of the green Gem who used to torment them almost constantly. Where had she gone? What could she be doing now?</p>
<p class="p1">He rolled over onto his side. Something caught his eye in the darkness; the escape pod they had retrieved from a field some time ago, with which they had once traced Peridot’s movements through the warp stream and which now lay inert beside the warp pad. Pearl had left it connected for months in some vain hope of successfully tracking her down, but ever since she had used it to lure them to the ancient Gem ship it had only sat there gathering dust. She had made no further attempts to trick them, not interfered with Earth’s technology again, nor given any traceable sign of her existence at all. It was like she had simply vanished.</p>
<p class="p1">Since she was no longer bothering anyone, the Crystal Gems had put her out of their minds for now in favour of the bigger threat. But Steven hadn’t forgotten. He flung his blankets back and sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees, his eyes unconsciously drawn to the detached foot of Peridot’s boot that now sat upon his shelf. He was still not sure why he had kept it for so long, but tonight the sight of it brought on a pang of sympathy.</p>
<p class="p1">“You’re all alone out there,” he said quietly. “You must be so scared and lost. Why are you hiding from us now? Is something wrong? We could help you if you let us. Maybe the Gems still want to poof you, but if you were really sorry… if you asked for help…”</p>
<p class="p1">The foot didn’t respond. He hadn’t really expected it to.</p>
<p class="p1">Steven slid out of bed. The house was quiet; the Gems had gone on a mission just before sunset, leaving him at home. They had expected it to take all night, Garnet had told him, and Pearl had insisted that he needed his rest. It only served to make him feel useless to them, just like old times.</p>
<p class="p1">He descended the stairs and flicked on the light. As the electric glow illuminated the house Steven padded barefoot toward the warp pad, where he settled on the floor beside the escape pod. He wiped his hand across its surface, clearing away a stripe of dust to reveal the vivid green surface beneath, and rested his palm against it gently.</p>
<p class="p1">“Where are you, Peridot?”</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">A light rain had begun to fall by the time Steven finally returned to bed. He lay there in the dark and listened to it pattering against the windows. It made him think of Lapis, lost somewhere deep beneath the ocean in the grips of that terrible fusion. Surely they had to find Malachite sooner or later. They had to save Lapis from that.</p>
<p class="p1">He rolled over, pressing his pillow against his ears to drown out the sound. Instead his thoughts turned once again to Peridot. He could almost see her in his mind’s eye; frightened, alone, huddled up in a cave as the rain outside grew heavier.</p>
<p class="p1">“Please let us help you,” he whispered into his pillow.</p>
<p class="p1">The sound of the rain outside was impossible to block out now. It hammered against the roof and windows, an incessant battering that lingered in Steven’s ears as his thoughts dwelled on Peridot. She would probably dislike the rain, he thought, envisioning her sheltering miserably in the back of the small cave. Everything he had seen so far about her was structured and methodical. Of course a Gem like her would find nature distasteful.</p>
<p class="p1">Slowly, gradually, the image grew clearer. He saw her sitting alone in the darkness, panting, clutching a ragged blanket around her shoulders. Her dirty hair was so unkempt it was barely maintaining its familiar triangle shape. She was pressing herself back against the wall, as far from the cavern entrance as she could manage, but she barely seemed to notice the rain outside. Instead her eyes were on the screen hovering before her, upon which she was fervently flicking through information files written in a language Steven could not read.</p>
<p class="p1">She squeezed her eyes shut beneath her visor, taking in deep breaths. A soft groan escaped her lips as she shifted her position, her expression strained. “Technology can’t fail me now,” she whimpered as she opened her eyes again. A tear made its steady way down her cheek as she resumed her search. “There has to be something archived somewhere…”</p>
<p class="p1">She blinked and glanced up, directly at Steven. At once fear and panic overtook her expression and she yelped, her screen fizzling out of existence in an instant as she shoved herself back harder against the wall. “No… nonono, I can’t be caught now! L-leave me alone!” Her eyes flickered frantically around the cave and toward the entrance.</p>
<p class="p1">With a shock Steven realized he was dreaming. This was just like his encounters with Lapis, deep within Malachite’s mind. He was no longer just thinking about Peridot; he was here with her, standing across from her in this cave while the wind howled outside and the rain came down in sheets.</p>
<p class="p1">He took a step closer, his heart aching for this terrified Gem. “It’s okay, Peridot. The Gems aren’t here. I’m not really here either. I’m just dreaming.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Dreaming? Is that some new trap?” she snapped, clutching the blanket more tightly around her. Her eyes flicked briefly toward the entrance again. She wasn’t attacking or trying to flee this time, he realized. She hadn’t even stood up. Something felt off.</p>
<p class="p1">“It’s not a trap, I promise. Are you hurt? We can help you.” Slowly he sank into a crouch opposite her. “Please, listen to me. I know you’re scared of being caught, but the Gems aren’t mean. You just got off on the wrong foot! Uh, I mean…” He glanced down toward her missing foot and back up to her face. “If you really need our help, all you have to do is ask for it.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You expect me to believe-“ Peridot’s words cut off abruptly with a whimper. Her shoulders stiffened as she panted, legs shaking beneath the blanket, a low whine escaping from between clenched teeth. Steven’s misgivings increased as he crept closer and knelt beside her.</p>
<p class="p1">“Please, Peridot, just listen to me. Whatever’s wrong, the Gems will know what to do. Where are you? We’ll come and get you.”</p>
<p class="p1">“No!” she snapped, panic clear in her voice. “You expect me to trust a filthy war machine, a renegade Pearl, an overcooked defect who’s never even been off this planet, and whatever you are? I’d sooner go to Jasper for help!”</p>
<p class="p1">“Jasper needs our help too,” Steven told her. “She’s trapped in a fusion at the bottom of the ocean. We’re going to save her, and Lapis too. You all deserve to be helped.”</p>
<p class="p1">“…I…” Peridot faltered, staring helplessly back at Steven’s earnest expression. For a moment little could be heard beyond the pouring rain and the rasp of Peridot’s breathing. Steven was about to speak again when she tensed, letting out a stifled whine as pain surged through her body once more.</p>
<p class="p1">She drew a shaky breath as her shoulders relaxed. There was defeat in her expression when she opened her eyes again. “I don’t have a choice any more,” she mumbled, more to herself than to Steven. “… Okay. I’ll go somewhere they can find me. Do you give your word that they won’t just destroy my form immediately?”</p>
<p class="p1">“I promise,” he told her, a glimmer of hope igniting in his chest. “I’ll come with them and make sure they don’t hurt you. As long as you don’t try to hurt them either.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot nodded jerkily, looking as though there was a bitter taste in her mouth at the idea of seeking help from her enemies. Her eyes flicked toward the entrance again, fear creeping back in, and Steven realized with a shock that she was afraid of the rain. She was reluctant to step out into it, even to save herself.</p>
<p class="p1">“Peridot, it’s okay,” he assured her. “It’s just water. It’ll only get you wet. You can cover yourself up with that to keep dry.” He pointed to the blanket. “But Homeworld stuff is so advanced, that screen you make with your fingers must be waterproof, right? It’ll be okay. I promise.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot didn’t look like she believed him, but she no longer had any choice but to trust him. Slowly she braced her back against the wall and pushed herself upright. Her missing foot forced her to stand with one knee awkwardly bent and she kept her shoulders hunched, still gripping the blanket securely around herself as though unwilling to let Steven see her properly. She took one hesitant step toward the entrance, only to pause and glance back at him with barely concealed terror in her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">“If any of what you’ve said is a lie, I’ll have Jasper hunt you down and crush your gem into powder,” she hissed between her teeth.</p>
<p class="p1">Before Steven could respond, Peridot had pulled her blanket up over her head and stumbled out into the rain.</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">Steven awoke to the sound of the warp pad activating. For a moment he had the wild thought that Peridot was going to come right into his home, but he jolted upright just in time to see the far more familiar figures of the Crystal Gems appear atop the structure.</p>
<p class="p1">“Guys!” Steven scrambled out of bed, got one foot tangled in his blankets, and fell to the floor with a thump.</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl hurried to help untangle him. “Steven, are you all right? Did we wake you?”</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst jumped down from the warp pad and punched the air, a wide grin on her face. “Oh man, that mission was intense! Once you hear all the juicy details you’re gonna be sorry you missed it.”</p>
<p class="p1">“It was important for Steven to stay home and get his rest,” Garnet stated.</p>
<p class="p1">“I guess it did take a while,” Amethyst acknowledged with a glance toward the windows. Following her gaze as Pearl helped him to his feet, Steven noticed that the first light of dawn was beginning to creep through the dark clouds that still covered the sky. How long had it been since his conversation with Peridot? Had she made it somewhere they could find her?</p>
<p class="p1">“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said urgently. “It’s about Peridot-“</p>
<p class="p1">The name had barely left his lips when a green glow suddenly filled the house. Instantly all eyes had snapped toward its source; the escape pod, long dormant and almost forgotten beside the warp pad, had suddenly lit up again. Peridot was using the warp stream.</p>
<p class="p1">Relief washed through Steven as Pearl bolted to her feet and ran down the stairs. In an instant she had immersed her hand in the now-active screen hovering within the pod, allowing data to flood into her mind. From her gem beamed a projection of Earth, but this time the Gems barely needed it as a guide. Pearl could tell instantly where Peridot was going. “She’s heading to the Kindergarten.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Why would she go there now, when she knows we can track her using the warp pads?“ Amethyst frowned.</p>
<p class="p1">Steven was hastily pulling on his clothes over his pyjamas even as the projection flickered out and the glow faded. “I was trying to tell you guys. I talked to her in my dream, just like I did with Lapis.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You did?” Amethyst looked baffled.</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet’s eyes were still fixed unseeingly upon the escape pod as she adjusted her shades with one hand, turning her focus within herself. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. “Something’s clouding my future vision. I can’t predict what’s going to happen if we follow her. This could be another trick.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven jumped down the last few steps and ran to join the Gems. “It’s not a trick! She’s really in trouble.”</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet knelt down to be closer to his level and rested her hands on his shoulders. “Tell me what happened in your dream.”</p>
<p class="p1">“She was hiding in a cave. She looked so afraid and I think she was hurt. Her gem didn’t look cracked but she was in pain. I convinced her to let us help her,” Steven summarized quickly. “She said she’d go somewhere we can find her. That must be why she used the warp.”</p>
<p class="p1">“She’s letting us track her on purpose?” Pearl gave the pod a shocked look.</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet straightened up. “If she is, she must be in real danger. We need to go to her now.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Promise you won’t hurt her!” Steven hopped up onto the warp pad, determined to accompany them.</p>
<p class="p1">“If the situation is this serious, we have no reason to hurt her.”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl was the last to join them on the warp pad, her expression still dubious. In an instant the four of them were beaming into the warp stream on their way to the Kindergarten.</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">Rain was still falling when they arrived in the artificial canyon, which was even darker and more ominous at this early hour than Steven had ever seen it before. The high cliffs sheltered much of the ground from the weather but thin rivulets of water trickled down the walls, slowly eroding away more of the dead earth and pooling on the ground in murky puddles. Steven’s anxiety rose as he surveyed the area. There was no sign of Peridot near the warp pad. Had she changed her mind and run away again?</p>
<p class="p1">Over the distant patter of rain came a low groan, echoing around the canyon.</p>
<p class="p1">“That was her,” Amethyst stated, drawing her whip. She jumped down to the canyon floor and the others followed, but Steven latched onto her arm before she could take off toward the sound.</p>
<p class="p1">“Don’t attack her,” he pleaded again. “She’s already hurt.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Sorry, little man, but this could still be a trap.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I think Steven is right,” Garnet stated, surprising everybody. She was gazing in the direction of the sound, a small frown on her face. “I can’t see what would make her come to us for help, but I don’t see us being attacked here. This is genuine. Stay close, everyone.”</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst reluctantly allowed her whip to vanish into nothing as she began to follow Garnet. Pearl was keeping close to Steven, ready to protect him if necessary, but he barely noticed. He was completely focused on the sounds of pain that drifted to them on the still air.</p>
<p class="p1">Something pale came into view ahead and Steven’s heart leaped into his throat. At first he thought Peridot had collapsed on the ground, but a moment later he realized it was only the blanket she had been wearing in his dream. It lay abandoned in a sodden heap, too drenched with rain to be useful any longer.</p>
<p class="p1">“The control room,” Pearl stated in a whisper.</p>
<p class="p1">A few steps beyond the discarded blanket was a perfectly square hole that had been carved into the ground. As the Gems drew closer it was easy to see the eerie greenish glow that emanated from the walls within, illuminating the smooth tunnel that led deep beneath the Kindergarten. Garnet had paused, clearly reluctant to go back down there after the horrific discovery they had made on their last visit. But then a cry of pain echoed up the tunnel, leaving them in no doubt of Peridot’s hiding place.</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst jumped down into the tunnel with no hesitation, looking ready for a fight even without her weapon at the ready. Moments later Garnet had steeled herself and followed. Steven and Pearl brought up the rear, Steven struggling to imitate Pearl’s perfectly balanced pose as the two of them slid down the passage deeper into the earth.</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst’s voice rose to meet them as she neared the bottom. “We know you’re in here, Peri-snot! Come out or we’ll-“</p>
<p class="p1">She went silent abruptly as she and Garnet reached the floor. Steven could see that the two of them had stopped dead just inside the control room, struck speechless by their discovery. Moments later Pearl was leaping to join them and Steven heard her quick indrawn breath as he stumbled onto level ground after her.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh my stars,” Pearl whispered.</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot was sitting slumped against the control pedestal on the far side of the room. Her hair and clothes were still dripping with rainwater from her hurried journey, but the dampness glistening on her face now was clearly sweat. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she stared back at the Crystal Gems in fear and distress. Both trembling hands were clutching the round swell of her belly that protruded out in front of her, stretching her uniform far beyond what it should have been able to accomodate.</p>
<p class="p1">“Please,” she choked out shakily, “help me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Peridot delivers and the Crystal Gems learn more about her situation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In which Amethyst's comments single-handedly prevent this from being rated T.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The Crystal Gems stood frozen, overcome by shock. It was baffling enough to know that one of the Homeworld Gems who had vanished from their radar for months was now actively seeking their help, but finding her in this state was the last thing any of them had expected. A ringing silence had fallen over the control room as Peridot gazed back at them, her eyes begging for mercy, her hovering fingers splayed almost protectively over her distended abdomen.</p>
<p class="p1">The moment was broken when Peridot’s body went rigid. Her eyes squeezed shut behind her visor, knees quivering in agony as a high-pitched whine escaped between her clenched teeth. Her fingers were drifting away, floating out of her control while she was caught in the grips of the pain.</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet was the first one to act. She strode forward and Peridot gasped, attempting to scramble back despite the pain. But Garnet simply knelt down by her side and showed her weaponless hands as a gesture of peace. “I’m going to take you back to the Temple. Let me carry you.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Is there still time?” Pearl asked in a voice barely above a whisper, her shocked eyes still lingering on Peridot’s waistline.</p>
<p class="p1">“Just enough if we leave now.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot turned her terrified gaze on Steven, who gave her his most encouraging smile and nod. She swallowed and nodded tensely to Garnet in turn. “Okay.”</p>
<p class="p1">With exceeding gentleness Garnet slipped her arms beneath the incapacitated Gem and lifted her. Pearl and Amethyst stepped aside to let her through and within moments she was springing back up the tunnel and out of sight.</p>
<p class="p1">A few seconds passed before Amethyst let out a low whistle. “Of all the things I expected to see today, that wasn’t one of ‘em. Sure explains why we haven’t seen her in months, though…”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl tore her gaze away from the distant patch of sky. “That doesn’t matter now. We need to get home and help Garnet.” Without further hesitation she bent and scooped Steven up beneath one arm, catching him by surprise. Before he could say anything she was leaping back up the passageway after Garnet.</p>
<p class="p1">“Pearl,” he spoke up hesitantly once she had set him down outside, “is she really…?”</p>
<p class="p1">“About to pop out a baby?” Amethyst cut in as she caught up to them. “Sure looked like it to me.”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl nodded distractedly, absently bending down to pick up the sodden blanket on her way past as though she was collecting one of Steven’s discarded garments from the floor at home. “Yes. Let’s not waste any time in getting back.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Does that mean she’ll…” Steven’s voice trailed off as he followed Pearl back toward the warp pad. Amethyst glanced uneasily back at him but didn’t respond. Not another word passed between the three on their trip back to the warp pad.</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">The next few hours felt like the longest of Steven’s life. The Gems had vanished into the Temple, leaving him restlessly pacing the house and unable to settle. Anxiety buzzed around his mind like a swarm of bees, constantly dragging his focus back to the closed door regardless of what he tried to use as a distraction. He had finally managed to force in a few bites of breakfast when Amethyst came out, causing him to jump to his feet and nearly spill his cereal. But she wouldn’t answer his questions and avoided his gaze as she ran to grab an armful of towels from the bathroom, which she took back into her room. The Temple door had sealed itself behind her, cutting short a scream of pain from within, and Steven had found that he couldn’t bring himself to continue eating.</p>
<p class="p1">The sun climbed steadily higher in the sky. He tried to occupy himself with a book, but after reading the same line four times and not taking in a word he had quickly given up. Two video games and an unfinished drawing were similarly cast aside before he thought to take a walk down to the Big Donut for lunch and some fresh air, but he had barely stepped outside when he decided he couldn’t bear to leave right now. The moment the Temple door opened, he wanted to be ready for whatever news was waiting on the other side.</p>
<p class="p1">Midday found Steven lying on his back on the couch, one leg dangling over the side as he stared up into nothingness. His mind was full of thoughts of his early encounters with Peridot. Had there ever been any hints about this? No matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn’t pick out a single clue. She must have hidden it well, he concluded. That must be why she had disappeared off their radar; she didn’t want them seeing her when it was obvious.</p>
<p class="p1">The sound of the Temple door opening jolted him out of his thoughts. In an instant he had scrambled upright, anxious to find out what had become of Peridot. “Garnet! Pearl!”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl looked somewhat shaken, but she offered him a tiny smile as he hurried over to her. His eyes were drawn to the bundle of towels in her arms. It was motionless, but by the tender way she cradled it he could guess what it must be. “Is that…”</p>
<p class="p1">“Steven, we can’t delay for long,” Garnet told him softly, “but you can see them if you’d like.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Here.” Carefully Pearl knelt down, resting the bundle in her lap with her arms securely around it. Steven had been expecting a baby, but what he saw instead was a trio of orbs nestled into the soft fabric. Each was perfectly round and slightly larger than his fist, their surfaces a mottled yellow-green. They almost seemed to glow with a faint phosphorescence.</p>
<p class="p1">“Geodes.” Pearl answered his unasked question. “They’re geodes. Each of these will eventually hatch into a new Gem.”</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s why it’s important for us to get them implanted in the Kindergarten as soon as possible,” Garnet added. “They need minerals from the ground to finish developing.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven was almost entranced by the three small spheres, but he tore his gaze away to meet the Gems’ eyes anxiously. “Is.. is Peridot…?”</p>
<p class="p1">“She’s okay, Steven,” Pearl assured him. “She’s resting. The delivery took a lot out of her, but she’s going to be fine. Amethyst is watching her in case she decides to cause any trouble.”</p>
<p class="p1">“We should go,” Garnet stated. She crouched down to help steady the geodes in Pearl’s arms as she rose to her feet again. Steven retreated from the warp pad and a moment later the pair had beamed away, taking the geodes with them.</p>
<p class="p1">Alone in the house once again, Steven approached the Temple door. Despite Pearl’s reassurances he couldn’t suppress his worry about Peridot. For a moment he hesitated before raising a hand to knock on the door. “Amethyst?”</p>
<p class="p1">As though she had been waiting to let him in, Amethyst’s door opened at once to reveal her junkyard of a room. He stepped inside and found himself seemingly alone as the door sealed itself behind him. “Amethyst?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Over here, dude. Follow the snoring.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven navigated his way around several piles of assorted furniture and objects before he spotted her, seated on an overturned canoe resting atop a heap of shoeboxes. Immediately his eyes slid past her to the bed beside her. Peridot lay sprawled out on her back amid an untidy arrangement of blankets and towels, snoring softly and clearly oblivious to anything around her. Though she was obviously exhausted from her efforts at bringing new life into the world, the sight of her safe and otherwise unharmed made Steven’s heart lift.</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst wore a broad grin as she beckoned him closer. “Hey, guess what? You know those floating fingers and the detached foot? Turns out those weren’t even parts of her.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven tiptoed closer, unwilling to disturb the sleeping Gem despite his curiosity. “They’re not?”</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst leaned over and twitched aside the edge of the blanket covering Peridot, revealing a completely ordinary hand resting limply by her side. “Nope. Her legs are the same. She’s had two feet the whole time. Who knows why she wore those things? Pearl’s got ‘em stashed away in her gem so we can pummel this nerd more easily if we have to.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven smoothed the blanket back over the exposed hand to keep her warm and comfortable. “She came to us for help, Amethyst. Shouldn’t we give her a chance?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Guess that depends on how she’s acting when she wakes up, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p class="p1">He frowned and perched on the canoe beside Amethyst, watching the subtle rise and fall of Peridot’s chest beneath the blanket. Her entire body had relaxed into the bed as she slept. Despite the ordeal of the past few hours, she looked far more peaceful now than he had ever expected to see her.</p>
<p class="p1">“Maybe she’ll want to be one of us now,” he said softly.</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst reached over and ruffled his hair, an affectionate smile on her face. “You softie.”</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">Steven lost track of time as he sat there, lost in thoughts of the sleeping Gem lying beside him, before the sound of approaching footsteps announced Pearl and Garnet’s return. He greeted them with a smile that immediately slid off his face at the sight of Pearl’s troubled expression. Garnet’s face was impassive but her lips were pressed into a thin line as she came closer.</p>
<p class="p1">Steven slid off the canoe at once, worry bubbling up in his chest again. “What’s wrong? Is it the geodes?”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl shook her head and managed a small smile for him. “The geodes are fine, Steven. There’s nothing to worry about.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Pearl and I need to talk to Peridot in private,” Garnet told him in a low voice. “It won’t take long.”</p>
<p class="p1">“But I promised I’d make sure you didn’t hurt her! She might not feel safe alone with you.”</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl sank to one knee and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Steven, Garnet and I had a very serious discussion while we were away. It’s very important that we talk to Peridot in private. I promise we won’t hurt her. She’s going to be too tired to fight for a while yet.”</p>
<p class="p1">“C’mon, little man. I’ll open the door for you.” Amethyst hopped off the canoe and started to lead the way back to the Temple door. Steven cast one last worried glance back toward the bed before following.</p>
<p class="p1">When the two had vanished from view behind a junk pile, Pearl let her expression fall back into concern as she straightened up. Her eyes followed Garnet as the fusion crossed to the bed and bent over the sleeping form of their former enemy. “Peridot, we need you to wake up.”</p>
<p class="p1">The hand gently shaking her shoulder stirred Peridot back to consciousness. She let out a muffled groan and turned her head away, one hand coming up to wave away whatever was disturbing her slumber. Garnet spoke again, undeterred. “We need to talk to you.”</p>
<p class="p1">The sound of her voice pierced through the haze of sleep. Peridot’s eyes fluttered open and her body immediately tensed. For a moment confusion was evident on her face before the memories of the past few hours rushed back in. In an instant she had scrambled to sit up and jerked her shoulder out of Garnet’s grip, eyes wide with panic as she quickly scanned her surroundings. “Where are they? What did you do with them?”</p>
<p class="p1">“The geodes are safe,” Garnet told her. “We took them to the Kindergarten and implanted them. They’ll emerge when they’re ready.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot’s shoulders slumped in relief. “You didn’t hurt them?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course not,” Pearl assured her, coming forward to perch at the foot of the bed. “But we need to talk to you about them. What do you plan to do next?”</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m going to…” Peridot faltered as it occurred to her that she had no plans. Slowly she slumped back against the pillows, looking helpless and lost. “… I don’t know. My plans only ever involved getting back to Homeworld. But ever since I realized I was carrying… I never expected to get so attached to them.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You couldn’t take them back with you,” Garnet observed.</p>
<p class="p1">“Of course not. I know what would happen if I did.” Peridot turned her head away, chewing her lip uneasily, moisture welling up in her eyes at the thought. “I can’t leave them here alone either. I… I suppose I don’t have a plan.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You’re going to keep them and raise them?” Pearl enquired softly.</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot pushed two fingers beneath her visor to wipe away the tears threatening to fall. “That’s what I want to do. But the… this planet, it’s…” Her voice trailed off as she curled up on her side, hugging her knees to her chest.</p>
<p class="p1">There was a moment of silence, broken only by Amethyst’s footsteps as she returned from escorting Steven out of the Temple. She hopped back up onto the canoe as Pearl spoke up again. “What about their other parent?”</p>
<p class="p1">There was no reply. Pearl glanced uneasily at Garnet. “Peridot, do you know who it could be?”</p>
<p class="p1">“It’s Jasper.”</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet’s mouth tightened slightly but she gave no other response. Pearl glanced at Amethyst, who looked baffled, before returning her attention to Peridot. “This wasn’t a deliberate decision, was it?”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot remained curled up, her eyes fixed upon a junk pile ahead of her. Her expression had gone blank. “It was an accident. She tripped.”</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst snorted in response. “Sure, we believe that. She tripped and ‘accidentally’ fu-“</p>
<p class="p1">“Amethyst,” Pearl admonished quietly.</p>
<p class="p1">“How does that work, anyway? Unless she also ‘accidentally’ shapeshift-“</p>
<p class="p1">“Amethyst!” Pearl’s temper flared as her attention snapped to the purple Gem, appalled by what she was suggesting. Before either of the two could say anything else Garnet had spoken up.</p>
<p class="p1">“Amethyst, Gems don’t reproduce like humans. Most Gems aren’t even aware that it’s possible. Our forms are made of light, not biological components. When that light combines in the right way, geodes are created.”</p>
<p class="p1">“There’s nothing crude or vulgar about it,” Pearl added with a distasteful expression, which faded back into concern as her attention returned to Peridot. “But still, both Gems should be fully aware of what they’re doing. They need to be ready for it. If it was really an accident-”</p>
<p class="p1">“I knew it was possible,” Peridot interrupted. She had squeezed her eyes shut and was hugging her knees more tightly, looking as though each word tasted bitter on her tongue. “I didn’t think I was capable of it with my… defects, and I don’t know if she knew about it at all. It really was an accident. She was shouting at me about something when the ship jolted. She fell on me and knocked me into the ship’s controls. The next thing I knew, she was yelling at me to get up off the floor. I felt so lightheaded, I couldn’t even sit up until after she’d left.”</p>
<p class="p1">Garnet’s expression had relaxed slightly as she considered Peridot’s retelling of the event. “If Jasper thought nothing of the incident, it’s entirely possible she’s still unaware of what she set into motion. For now it’s better that she remains ignorant. Let’s leave her out of this.”</p>
<p class="p1">“You mean… I’m going to have to do this alone?” Peridot asked in a very small voice.</p>
<p class="p1">“What, suddenly we don’t exist?” Amethyst protested. When everybody looked over at her she grinned. “C’mon, you guys can’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing. Four new Crystal Gems! Of course we’re gonna help out.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot lifted her head, looking stunned by the unexpected show of support. Her gaze drifted to Garnet, who had let out a thoughtful hum. “Our future is going to be very busy,” she commented with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl sighed in resignation, but there was a small smile on her face when she looked back at everyone. “I suppose if we could handle Steven…”</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst’s grin widened. “Aww yeah! You’re one of us now, Peri. You and your kids!”</p>
<p class="p1">Silently Peridot glanced around at the trio of Gems sitting with her. Three former enemies, dangerous rebels who had tried time after time to hunt her down and capture her, now pledging their help and support without her even asking. She had not believed Steven when he spoke of their mercy, but now she could see that he had been telling the truth.</p>
<p class="p1">“I guess I have no choice,” she admitted reluctantly, trying to ignore the feeling of warmth in her chest and the lump in her throat. If Homeworld would never accept her children, there was only one place she could turn.</p>
<p class="p1">Like it or not, she was a Crystal Gem now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Steven learns more about geodes and gets his chance to talk to the newest Crystal Gem.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Steven was waiting anxiously for the Gems when they exited the Temple. As soon as he heard Amethyst’s door opening he was on his feet and pelting them with questions. “Is Peridot okay? What did she say? You didn’t bubble her, did you?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Peridot is fine, Steven,” Garnet reassured him. “We spoke to her about her plans and she agreed that the best course of action is to stay with us.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Yeah, looks like you were right after all,” Amethyst added.</p>
<p class="p1">His expression lit up. “You really mean it? She wants to be our friend? Can I go in and talk to her?”</p>
<p class="p1">“She needs to rest,” Pearl stated from the kitchen, where she had busied herself with preparing a hot drink. “She’s just been through an exhausting ordeal. It might be better to give her some space for today. You can talk to her tomorrow.”</p>
<p class="p1">Steven wasn’t thrilled that the Gems could talk to her when they wanted while he had to wait, but he accepted it without a fuss. He would have plenty of time to talk to Peridot later. In any case, she wasn’t the only Gem for whom he had questions right now.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hey, Pearl?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes, Steven?” she enquired distractedly.</p>
<p class="p1">“How do Gems… I mean… is it like humans? Or…”</p>
<p class="p1">He trailed off; Pearl had flushed a bright shade of cyan and looked as though she would rather be anywhere else right now. Behind him he heard Amethyst snicker quietly and the Temple door open and close as Garnet left Pearl to handle this one herself.</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl sighed as she continued preparing the drink. “No, Steven, Gems don’t reproduce like humans. Many Gems aren’t even aware that it’s possible. It hasn’t been permitted since long before my time and that’s unlikely to have changed since we’ve been living on Earth. Amethyst, take this to Peridot for me.” She handed over the steaming cup to the smaller Gem.</p>
<p class="p1">Amethyst was still snickering to herself while she departed back into the Temple. Pearl ignored her completely as she crossed to the couch and sat down, her cheeks still tinged with blue. Steven followed her, unable to suppress his curiosity. “Then how does it happen?”</p>
<p class="p1">“It all begins with our gems.” Pearl’s gem began to glow and she projected a hologram in the air before her. A pair of featureless humanoid figures took shape, each with a gem upon its chest. As Steven watched with fascination, the two faced each other and joined hands. Their gems touched and began to pulse with light in unison.</p>
<p class="p1">“When two Gems bring their gemstones into contact, it causes a burst of energy to pass between them,” Pearl explained. “Most of the time this energy has no effect and is absorbed without either of them noticing. Sometimes it’s powerful enough to momentarily stun one or both Gems. Sometimes it causes an accidental fusion. And sometimes, on very rare occasions, the energy passes into the receiving Gem’s form and… solidifies.”</p>
<p class="p1">One of the holographic figures vanished. The glow surrounding the other’s gem condensed into a small sphere and began to travel down within the figure’s body. It came to rest in the abdomen, where it split into three smaller orbs that sat pulsing steadily.</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s how geodes are made?” Steven asked, wide eyes fixed upon the trio of lights.</p>
<p class="p1">“Yes. It’s a very special and draining process. Our forms are made of light, but they’re little more than projections. They’re not permanent and unchangeable. The formation of geodes is more like the way I can convert solid objects into energy and store them in my gem. Under the right circumstances, our bodies can create solid, conscious entities out of pure energy. But the process takes months and causes the carrier all manner of side-effects. I suppose it’s comparable to human pregnancy in that way.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Have you ever had geodes?” Steven enquired, wondering why she knew so much.</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl’s breath caught and the hologram flickered out. “That’s… I mean… I…”</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s okay! Y-you don’t have to tell me!” Steven added quickly.</p>
<p class="p1">Pearl clasped her hands in her lap and stared down at them for a moment. “… Th-the geodes. They can’t get all of the minerals they need from the carrier Gem. They need to be implanted in the ground to absorb more until they have enough energy to take form and emerge. A-and that’s all you need to know about geodes! I should go and make sure Amethyst isn’t bothering Peridot.”</p>
<p class="p1">Before Steven could react, Pearl had jumped up and hurried into the Temple. He remained on the couch, frowning at the closed door and wondering just how much of the knowledge she had just imparted had come from personal experience.</p>
<hr/>
<p class="p1">The sound of the warp pad activating cut through the still air of the Kindergarten. The rain had long since stopped but the ground was still soft in patches, the tall cliffs denying it the warmth of the sun to help it dry. Every time Steven visited here, he was reminded of what a gloomy place it was.</p>
<p class="p1">He slid carefully down the slope from the warp pad, stumbling a little when his feet hit level ground. Nothing was moving and he could see little more than dull rock in almost every direction, but he knew where to go. He smoothed down the blanket folded over his arm and set off, accompanied only by the sound of his own footsteps against the bare ground.</p>
<p class="p1">It didn’t take him long to find her. Peridot was sitting alone with her back against the wall, both arms wrapped securely around her own waist. Her expression was distant and she barely seemed to notice Steven as he drew closer. It was strange to see her without her limb enhancers, but he pushed that thought out of his mind as he spoke up.</p>
<p class="p1">“Peridot?”</p>
<p class="p1">She blinked and turned her head, finally seeming to notice him standing there. “Did the others send you to bring me back? I’m not going to run away. Where could I go now?”</p>
<p class="p1">“No, I came to keep you company.”</p>
<p class="p1">She watched him in silence as he settled on the ground beside her. “When I woke up Garnet told me you were gone,” he told her, “but she said I’d find you here. So I thought I’d come visit too.” He gave her an encouraging smile and offered her the blanket that had been draped over his arm. “Here, this is yours. I washed it for you yesterday while you were resting.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I don’t need it any more.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Maybe not, but…” he glanced at the cliff opposite, where the rock bore unmistakeable signs of being broken open and filled in again, “don’t you think your babies might like it?”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot didn’t respond. Steven placed the folded blanket between them on the ground, slightly disappointed by her rejection of this gift, but a moment later he felt her shift slightly in place. He glanced to the side in time to see Peridot smoothing the blanket down upon her lap, avoiding her still-sensitive abdomen. She folded her hands over it and resumed gazing quietly at the cliff.</p>
<p class="p1">“Do you know how long it’ll be before they come out?” he asked.</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot hesitated and averted her gaze from the cliff. “… A few months. At least, it should. It’s going to be too late by then.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Huh? What do you mean, too late?”</p>
<p class="p1">Her fingers dug into the blanket. Her posture had gone tense, Steven noticed, and before long she had drawn her knees up to her chest to hug them. “I mean everything on this planet will be destroyed by then! They don’t even have a chance. Not here, not on Homeworld… not anywhere. They’re going to die here. <em>I’m</em> going to die here. And there’s nothing I can do about it.”</p>
<p class="p1">She turned away, curling up with her back to him. Her shoulders shook and her breathing hitched as though she was stifling a sob. Steven crept closer on his knees, worry melting into fear. “Peridot, what are you talking about? Is Homeworld going to do something to Earth?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Going to? It’s already done! The Cluster… it’s already too late for us. There’s no way to stop it.”</p>
<p class="p1">She flung the blanket aside and pushed herself to her feet, groaning slightly with the effort. Steven remained in place and watched as she crossed to the far wall, where she leaned against the damaged rock. Her hand rested against it, fingers slowly running over each crack in the wall. “I’ll never get to see them emerge,” she said quietly.</p>
<p class="p1">Steven’s mouth tightened into a determined line. Whatever this Cluster was that Peridot feared so much, he was certain it was no match for the Crystal Gems. It didn’t matter what it took; they would make sure that nothing happened to her offspring. “Peridot, let’s go back and tell the Gems about the Cluster.”</p>
<p class="p1">“What for?” she responded dully.</p>
<p class="p1">He retrieved the blanket from where she had dropped it and dusted it off. “Because it’s too soon to give up. It’s always too soon to give up! They’ll figure out what to do. It doesn’t matter how hard it might be, I know they’ll find a way to do it.”</p>
<p class="p1">Peridot shook her head. “There’s no chance. You don’t understand.”</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s why we need you!” He climbed to his feet and went over to join her. “Maybe if it was just the four of us by ourselves, we wouldn’t know what to do. We wouldn’t even know about the Cluster. But now we have you! You’re a Crystal Gem now, and Crystal Gems help each other no matter what.”</p>
<p class="p1">She turned to face him, her expression despondent. But Steven caught a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. After all the Crystal Gems had done, both when fighting against her and helping her, deep down he knew she believed they could do this too.</p>
<p class="p1">He offered her the blanket. “Do it for them, Peridot.”</p>
<p class="p1">Her eyes flickered down to the blanket, then up to the damaged rock beside her. He saw defeat slowly give way to longing and finally resolve. “For them,” she repeated in a whisper.</p>
<p class="p1">Her hands closed around the blanket once again. When he let go of it she slowly brought it closer to hug against her chest. Then she met his gaze and nodded firmly. “Yes. Let’s go back. There’s no time to waste. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”</p>
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